There are great fighters and then there are modern day legends. Only the best of the best make it into the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Here’s a list of active, veteran fighters bound for glory and another list of those who just don’t quite make the grade:
Hall of Fame Bound
Bernard Hopkins ? If Hopkins doesn’t make it to the Hall of Fame, they need to close the place down and open up a Pizza Hut there, instead. “B-Hop” could likely be the last truly undisputed, four-belt champ as a middleweight and a linear light heavyweight titlist, to boot. His post-40 career, alone, could possibly get him in.
Manny Pacquiao? Eight-division champ and mega-star, Pacquiao was likely a shoe-in before he ever moved past lightweight. Now, a HOF without the “Pac-man” would be ridiculous.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Love him or hate him, as a five-division champ and top American draw, “Money” Mayweather gets in without question and without hesitation.
Wladimir Klitschko? The Hall of Fame loves dominant heavyweights and Klitschko is the heavyweight for this generation of big men.
Vitali Klitschko? As mentioned above, the HOF has a love affair with top heavyweights and, with the exception of his little brother, no big man has been as dominant for as long a period of time in this decade.
Marco Antonio Barrera? “The Baby Faced Assasin” could make a case for himself as the best Mexican warrior in a deep era of quality, Mexican fighters. Although still fighting well-past his prime, Barrera’s best was easily HOF material
Erik Morales? Tijuana’s “El Terrible” is a legendary figure among true fight fans and rightfully regarded as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all-time.
Juan Manuel Marquez? After a slow start to his career, “Dinamita” made up for lost time with a string of impressive wins and an earned reputation as one of the most technically-proficient fighters of this modern era.
Miguel Cotto? As a three-division champ and the best Puerto Rican fighter since Felix Trinidad, Cotto will likely cruise into the HOF as soon as he’s eligible.
Shane Mosley? The former three-division world champ is another likely first-ballot shoe-in. Forget his decisive losses to Mayweather and Pacquiao, “Sugar” Shane spent the twelve years before that earning his reputation as a true warrior.
Rafael Marquez ? The former bantamweight and super bantamweight champ will get in because of his flawless technique and his warrior spirit.
Chris John? Not a popular choice, but eight years as featherweight titlist and the distinction of being the most popular Indonesian fighter of all-time will get John into the Hall of Fame.
Winky Wright? In a perfect world, Winky Wright gets into the HOF as soon as he’s eligible. Wins over Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad top his resume, but the under-appreciated star has about a dozen other quality wins as well.
Hall of Fame Bust
Sergio Martinez? Despite great wins over Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik, Martinez didn’t become a world class threat until thirty-three years of age and just doesn’t have many legacy-defining opponents available to him.
Timothy Bradley? On the road to the HOF, Bradley’s career has stalled as two legacy-defining opponents (Amir Khan and Zab Judah) will now be facing each other instead of him.
Chad Dawson? Quality wins notwithstanding, Dawson’s critics may keep him out of the HOF for not having the most exciting of styles.
Felix Sturm? The three-time world middleweight champ has been part of the championship scene since 2003, but has earned a reputation as a protected champion who has never really faced the best middleweights out there.
David Haye? Haye’s cruiserweight dominance and solid resume at heavyweight may be forgotten in the wake of his embarrassingly passive performance against Wladimir Klitschko.
Zab Judah? Despite a string of tough losses and uninspired performances, Judah still has time to make a case for himself, starting with a win over Amir Khan.
Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico and a close follower of the sport for more than thirty years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and The Boxing Tribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing.
Sources:
Boxrec, Boxrec Stats and Info, Boxrec
The Boxing Tribune, The Boxing Tribune News and Views, The Boxing Tribune
